Forever Delena
by Foreverfirstloves
Summary: SPOILERS! Collection of one-shots following DE's human life together. The finale left a lot of blanks. I'm going to attempt to fill them in. Enjoy!
1. Reunion

**Okay, so I know this isn't very long. Sorry. But I was eager to get it posted, and more will follow!**

 **I plan on this being a collection of one-shots, following DE's human life.**

 **Not that the finale wasn't great, but I feel the need to do our endgame justice.**

 **Hope you enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned the Vampire Diaries, the finale would have been a two hour DE reunion fest. It wasn't, so clearly, I don't.**

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today will be different. Today I will smile. It will be genuine, because today is the day that I get to live again._

 _This life will be good; beautiful. But not without heartbreak._

 _In death comes peace, but pain is the cost of living. Like love it's how we know we're alive._

 _And life goes on…_

* * *

Elena Gilbert sat down her pen and looked back over the drying ink.

The weight of a journal in her hand was familiar and she cherished the feel of the pages beneath her fingers.

Writing had always been such a useful outlet for her that it seemed silly to stop the habit now.

Because yesterday, seeing as it was just past midnight, she had gotten her life back.

There was so much to catch up on, she knew; journals to read, stories to hear, people to meet, and one of her best friends to mourn.

But she had the time.

An entire lifetime to do so.

She knew that Stefan wouldn't want her to waste a single moment of it dwelling on what might have gone differently, and she owed him more than that.

She would grieve; moving on was impossible without it, but then she would be okay.

And she would make sure Caroline was too.

And Damon.

* * *

A smile pulled at her lips as she looked over at the bed where the love of her life was sleeping, his dark hair brushed back from his forehead.

It had been a long day for everyone and honoring Stefan's life and sacrifice had taken precedence.

However, after the funeral, Damon had brought her back here, to the house, while the others found solace in each other.

So many emotions were coursing through them both, Elena hadn't been sure where to begin.

But Damon's lips had found hers before words became necessary.

The kiss was warmth and longing and everything that assured her she was home.

Finally, home.

But there was also sadness, and desperation in his touch.

As someone who had lost her brother before, and quite literally lost her mind over it, she could understand.

At least this time, she was there to ease his pain.

* * *

" _Damon…" she pulled away slightly, grabbing his face, "Hey, look at me."_

 _When those screaming blue eyes settled on hers, she stroked his face, "I'm so sorry."_

 _He leaned forward so their foreheads touched, "I'm just…." his voice broke slightly, "I'm just glad you're here."_

 _She wrapped her arms around his neck, inhaling so that everything about him surrounded her, "Me too."_

Then they were kissing again and he picked her up in his arms, walking toward the bed, where they spent the next three hours making up for lost time.

* * *

Elena closed her diary, turned off the lamp she'd been using, and stood in the darkness.

She tugged the ends of the shirt she'd "borrowed" from Damon down to her thighs before crossing the familiar path back to the bed.

She soaked in every brush of the fabric against her skin, the coolness of the wooden floor on her feet, and the soft stroke of the blankets as she crawled beneath them.

Damon stirred as she settled against his body.

"Elena?" his gravelly voice called for her.

She reached over as his hands began searching for her, "I'm right here."

"Don't leave," he begged, pulling her against him, "Don't-"

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, "Damon, I'm right here."

As if her words reassured him, the frantic-ness of his body eased and his muscles relaxed back into the mattress.

"Sorry," he muttered, "This human thing is gonna take some getting used to. I can't see a damn thing."

She chuckled softly, "You're right. It's going to take some time...this is all going to take some time. But we have it, Damon. Years and years of time."

Silence followed her statement, but she knew him well enough to know that he just needed a minute to work out what he wanted to say.

Eventually, he did speak, "It was supposed to be me, Elena. I was supposed to die. Not him."

Elena blinked, then nodded sadly, "I know. Somehow, he found a way to say goodbye to me. He told me what you were planning on doing. And why he couldn't let you."

"I'm sorry," he breathed, "I wanted to be there when you woke up. I wanted to have this...this life with you. But I didn't want him to die for it."

"I didn't either," she admitted, "But we can't change the way it happened. All we can do is make the best of what we've been given...what Stefan wanted for us."

Her eyes had adjusted enough now that she could see the outline of Damon's face, and knew his stare was piercing into hers.

"We're going to see him again one day," she told him, her hand drifting up to cup his cheek, "And you're going to tell him about your long, human life. Every minute of it that you lived and were happy, because that's all he wanted for you. He wanted you to have the chance to live; the chance you were denied before. He told me you were the better man. The right one."

Damon breathed slowly, though his words were still shaky, "What if he was wrong? What if I'm not...if I can't…"

She smiled sadly at the familiarity that was the stubborn set of his jaw.

Somehow these worries, the slight insecurities and fears that he hardly ever let show, were reassuring to her.

Stefan made his amends and he would find peace.

Damon still needed the time his brother had bought him to reach that point, and she would make sure he got there.

* * *

"Damon Salvatore," she shifted their bodies so that she was slightly above him, "I want you to listen to me, and listen good..."

When the corners of his mouth curved a little, she continued, "You are a _good_ man. You deserve to be happy and to be loved. You deserve this second chance at a human life. And one day, you're going to believe that. I promise."

He smirk a little, though it wasn't quite wide enough to touched his eyes, "There's that Gilbert optimism I've been missing."

Elena smiled and leaned down, capturing his lips in a sealing kiss.

* * *

Things weren't perfect and they might never be.

But she wasn't going to take a single day for granted and together, she and Damon would make a life for themselves.

Despite everything they'd had to overcome to get to this point, this is where they'd ended up, and it was just a breath away from all that they'd wanted.

They would be happy, with their friends and family, and whatever else the future might hold.

Because they would have the time to figure it out.

A whole lifetime.

* * *

"I love you, Damon," she murmured against his skin as his body found its way over her own and settled into the cradle of her hips, "Always."

The same shimmer of hope that flashed in his eyes, when he first saw her again outside the tomb, filled his gaze now and it burned through her being, right to her soul.

"I love you," he returned, placing a firm kiss on her mouth, "Forever."

"Forever," she agreed.

However long that might be.

At least it would be with him.

* * *

 **Okay guys, so that was the start of my interpretations of their life together.**

 **Hope you liked it.**

 **I plan on doing more with important scenes like the engagement, wedding, med-school, kids, etc, but if there is anything that you guys would like to see, let me know.**

 **Just add your request in a review and I'll do my best to make it happen.**

 **Also, for those of you who follow my other stories, I'm going to do my absolute best to update Ode tomorrow :)**

 **Goodnight!**


	2. Journals, with a K

**Next chapter.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews/comments on Twitter! So glad that you all loved it :)**

 **I really hope I can do DE justice and hit on at least some of the points that the show brushed over.**

 **I'm going to try to keep them in chronological order (timeline wise) but if inspiration strikes I may change that.**

 **Either way, the chapters will let you know where they fall in the timeline.**

 **Hope you guys like this one too!**

* * *

The sun shone through Elena's thick brown hair as she leaned back against her parent's headstones and closed her eyes.

There was a slight breeze in the air, making the warmth bearable, and having nothing around but the chirping of some birds was a nice shake up from what had become the norm.

It had been a week.

An entire seven days since everything in Mystic Falls had changed forever.

Elena was beyond thrilled to have her life back.

Damon was almost always at her side, Bonnie was still alive, Caroline and Ric's daughters were the most precious things, and even Jeremy had come home now that she was awake.

The passing of the ones who didn't make it through, be that Stefan, Tyler, Jo, Liz, or any other, was a painful ache that everyone would always feel to some degree, but life was starting to move again.

The Boarding House was being converted into a school for supernatural children, which Elena considered one of Alaric's best ideas, and everyone had pitched in to help with the start up.

She figured the distraction was a much needed one, though no one said so, and it was a good way for them to finally spend time all together and figure out where they went from here.

There was still so much to catch up on.

So Elena had decided to take a day to do just that.

* * *

She'd come to the cemetery alone, despite a few protests on Damon's part, with a stack of every journal her friends had written, and one by one, she read them.

She'd heard the first person account of pretty much everything that had happened from everyone, but actually seeing the words gave her mind some clarity.

Tears, laughter, fear, happiness, and so many other emotions tore her heart a million different ways as she read about what all she'd missed in her slumber.

Heretics.

Lily Salvatore's old boyfriend, Julian and the hellstone.

Damon and Stefan's sufferings.

The multiple kidnaps of her coffin.

The Armory.

The Sirens…

Page after page of so much misery that her loved ones had endured.

Sure there were happy points.

Caroline with Stefan or her girls.

Alaric with the twins.

Bonnie finding the love she deserved with Enzo…

But among everything, one particular entry stood out; Damon's one and only hand written journal log.

* * *

 _Dear Elena,_

 _Yes you heard that correctly. Hell has frozen over. I'm writing it all down.  
_ _Granted, I'm half a bottle in thanks to my 1950 Chateau Cheval Blanc, a bottle I waited 65 years to open.  
_ _I used to spend nights sitting in my wine cellar convincing myself I could hear it age, tannins growing, fermenting, but appreciating its beauty didn't make time go by any faster.  
_ _The bottle just laid there on its shelf, torturing me while I waited for Katherine and time stood still. Eventually I convinced myself that no sip of that wine could ever taste as good as I dreamt it would.  
_ _And that is the story of why I drink bourbon.  
_ _I don't know who I am without you, but I know that as long as I'm with you, time will stand still. So who is Damon Salvatore without Elena Gilbert? A selfish friend, a jealous brother, a horrible son?  
_ _Or maybe with a little luck, I'll do right by you.  
_ _Because you may be a thousand miles away or a hundred years away, but you're still here with me and my heart is right there in that coffin with you.  
_ _Until you come back to me._

 _Love, Damon_

* * *

She lost count of the number of times she read his words, wishing she could reach through the pages and assure him that she was coming back to him.

It broke her heart to know what the person she loved most had suffered.

Mind control aside, her absence from his life had been Damon's existential crisis.

But he made her proud.

Throughout it all, he'd done exactly what Stefan had said; he'd become the better man.

The best of himself.

He loved and sacrificed and held everything together the best he could, for her...and for his family. The small list of people that he'd opened himself up to.

And even though she could feel the pain he held for the loss of his brother, he also understood that he wasn't alone anymore.

When he wasn't with her, he was with Bonnie, or Caroline, or even Alaric, though their relationship was still shaky and mainly consisted of late night drinks after the twins went to bed.

It was getting better though, and she wasn't sure if that was quite a good thing or not.

Having heard about the little incident of Ric plunging a stake into Damon's chest, she wasn't the man's biggest fan, but she was trying to understand.

Damon had assured her that it was probably a deserved retribution and that, in all fairness, he'd killed Alaric before too.

She wasn't quite at that forgiving place yet, especially since Ric had known better than anyone what her life was like without Damon in it, but she was trying.

With all the seconds chances and new starts floating around, it seemed pointless to put any more effort into more angry or holding grudges.

Matt, Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie, Damon...they'd all done what they'd done, and they were moving past that.

She had to find a way to do so as well.

* * *

So for now, she would do what she had been doing all this week.

Spending time with her brother, her friends, and the love of her life, while they all worked toward a better future for children who would be forced into some of the messes they'd had to deal with over the years.

Because she had a feeling that there would always be something going on in Mystic Falls, though maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing.  
Maybe they'd given up enough now that some cosmic balance would give them a break and things would be good from here.

She had faith in that.

They all deserved a happier life, in whatever form it took, for as long as they were able to live it.

Things would work themselves out.

As sheriff, Matt had been monitoring the return of all the townsfolk after the evacuation, and with the buzz of life reintegrating itself, Elena had hope that this time, it would be different.

Maybe not ever normal, seeing as they were all witches, doppelgangers, vampires, ex-vampires, vampire hunters, and so on, but who needed normal when there was a open board of unending potential just waiting to be lived.

Her life was not normal.

It was weird, messy, complicated, sad, wonderful, amazing, and above all...epic.

And she wasn't going to waste a single moment of that by wallowing in "maybes" or "could haves".

* * *

With her mind made up, Elena pulled herself to her feet and dusted her pants.

Then she grabbed the stack of journals and for a fleeting moment, considered leaving them in the Salvatore crypt.

Ashes to ashes. Past to past.

But then she thought of her family, the old Gilbert journals, her father's documented experiments on vampires, Bonnie's Grimoire, and decided that maybe some future generations of supernaturally affected lives could find use of them.

This was all part of their legacy, and it was a way to turn all the pain and suffering into something worthwhile.

So she kept them, and carried them back to her car.

Well, technically it was Jeremy's car now, but she was borrowing it until she was able to go get one of her own.

She placed the journals in the passenger's seat and gave a final glance back at the cemetery.

"I'll visit again soon," she promised, smiling a little as she started the car and pulled out.

* * *

The Boarding House was alive with laughter when she arrived, and the sounds coming from inside made her happy.

Further proof that she was awake and had loved ones close by.

Closer than she thought, actually.

"I was wondering when you'd get back."

Damon was waiting on the short wall across from the archway of the front door and she smiled when she saw him.

"What are you doing out here?"

He shrugged, "Even without supernatural hearing, it's loud in there. You know, this might be the first time half of those rooms have been used in over a decade. We're gonna have to do some more remodeling if it keeps up at this rate. Maybe we should start charging room fees. Thoughts?"

She pursed her lips and joined him on the wall, "Deflection. Nice tactic, but you should know by now that it doesn't work on me. What's really on your mind?"

He smirked a little, reaching for her hand, which she offered to him immediately.

"You read the journals?"

She nodded.

"I guess I was just wondering if they would change your mind about things…"

"Things? You mean about us?" she asked, and his lack of response was answer enough.

"Damon," she squeezed his hand, "Look, things happened, okay? That's nothing we can change. And nothing that you did under the siren's control was your fault. And I know that, not just from reading the journals, but because Bonnie and Caroline were both sure to tell me that repeatedly when we first talked about it. No one blames you."

He shook his head, "It's more than just that. I did terrible things, Elena. Things that maybe weren't even written down in there. And during my time with Sybil…"

The siren's name rolled from his tongue with a familiarity that she despised.

Not that it was his fault, but knowing that woman had gotten all up inside his head made Elena glad she'd been sent to whatever hell she was burning in and that it was forever destroyed.

However, the guilt on Damon's face lingered.

Guilt that struck a chord within her, and a question she wasn't entirely sure she wanted the answer to made it's way to her lips.

"Damon, were you...I mean, did you and her...you know...?"

One of his brows shot up, making her blush a little, but she didn't retract the question.

Slowly, his head shook, "No. At times I think she wanted to, but it wasn't really about that with us. She needed minions, not boy toys."

Elena nodded, feeling a little relieved.

"But," he continued, and her head shot up, causing Damon to be the one with pink cheeks, "There is something else you should probably know."

"Something else?" she prodded.

He sighed deeply, his gaze dropping down to their combined hands, "I'm guessing Bonnie didn't actually write about Krystal?"

"Krystal?" Elena tried to remember if the name had ever come up, "No, I don't think so."

Damon pulled his bottom lip into his mouth as he mulled his thoughts over.

Elena braced herself, "Hey, whatever it is, just tell me, okay? It's the only way we go forward."

Finally, he looked up at her, and the guilt was back in his eyes, "You won't like this."

"Tell me anyway."

And he did.

* * *

He told her about coming out of the hellstone, about thinking he'd burned her body...about the fights and the fallout after the fact...and all about Krystal, with a "K".

Elena listened without comment, being sure to keep her emotions in check so that he wouldn't get discouraged and stop talking.

When he had finished, his expression broke her heart, and had her standing.

Damon seemed surprised when she pushed herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The astonishment furthered when she kissed him, slowly, letting their lips linger before she pulled away.

"Elena-"

"It's in the past," she cut him off, "It doesn't matter."

"It does," he insisted, "I could have killed you. I...I cheated on-"

"No, you didn't," she assured him, then sighed, "Look, obviously I'm not thrilled about what happened, but just answer me one thing. Would you have done it if you knew I was still alive?"

His blue eyes searched her face before saying, clear of doubt, "No. Never."

She smiled at the sincerity in his voice, "Of course you wouldn't. You didn't betray me Damon. You did that dumb thing you always do when you think you deserve to be punished, which is to lash out and do whatever it takes to make you hate yourself...but you didn't betray me."

She could see the relief in face; feel the relaxation in his body as her words washed over him, but his grip on her waist remained tight.

"You really are too good for me," he breathed, "I'm starting to think there's nothing you can't find a way to forgive."

She laughed a little at that, and ran her fingers through the ends of his hair, "Well, Mr. Salvatore, I guess we have the next sixty to seventy years to find out how true that is."

And Damon smiled.

A real genuine smile that would have made her weak at the knees had she not already been sitting down.

The kind that made her warm just to see and she recalled just how much she'd missed it.

"Yeah. We do, don't we?"

Then he was kissing her and she was happy in his arms.

Where she planned on staying for the rest of her life.

* * *

 **A little fluff there at the end, but also conversations and issues I think should have been addressed! lol**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked it and I've loved reading all of your reviews.**

 **Remember, if there is any scene/situation/conversation that you want to see, let me know in a review and I'll try to make it happen.**

 **For those of you who have already made suggestions, I really appreciate them, so thank you!**

 **Until next time :)**


	3. On Necklaces and Humanity

**Update :)**

 **Thanks again you guys for all the reviews! I love your suggestions and will do my best to cover, or at least touch on them.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Holy...shit," Damon panted, bending over and grabbing his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

Elena laughed, putting her hands behind her head as she also heaved in oxygen, "Told you. Not as easy as it looks, huh?"

He laughed breathlessly, straightening and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"There's no way that was only three miles."

"That's the length around the lake," Elena assured him and he shook his head, "Remind me to apologize to Jeremy and Donovan when we get back."

She smiled and reached for his hand, "Come on. There's cold water in the fridge."

* * *

It had been a good start to the day.

Elena had decided that with everything going on at the Boarding House, she and Damon could use a weekend to themselves.

He'd been on board with the suggestion and they'd arrived at the Lake House yesterday.

The quiet serenity of the place had felt so...normal, and the two of them had been doing every activity that human couples usually did on weekend vacation.

Swimming, sex, lounging by the fireplace, and now, an early morning run.

Damon hadn't been too eager about that last one, but had agreed with her that they needed to pick up healthier habits now that they were human.

Human.

It still amazed her to think that she was really getting a human life with Damon.

That Damon Salvatore was a human with her, and even more, was happy about it.

Sure these past couple weeks had had their moments.

After all, an adjustment of perspective is necessary after spending over a century and a half as an almost invincible vampire.

But Damon was doing better than anyone had originally expected and it had turned about to be more amusing than worrisome.

Like how a three mile run proved to him he was way out of shape, despite his lean form.

Or how he'd actually turned red when she suggested they buy some condoms, then the very interesting night that followed when she realized he had never had to wear one before and had zero idea how to put one on.

She'd been more than willing to show him.

But the funniest was probably how his tolerance for his favorite bourbon was about half of what it had been.

Elena had discovered first hand that drunk Damon was a clingy love-bug and hungover Damon was a grouchy slug.

She smirked, recalling how he'd cursed the bottle, the company that made it, and even the plants the liquor had fermented from that following morning as he buried his head under a mountain of pillows to block out the sunlight.

And speaking of sunlight...she noticed that Damon would often rub the empty space on his finger where his daylight ring used to be, but then he would give a tiny smile and look up at that blazing ball in the sky that was no longer a threat to his life.

It warmed her heart that he was finding peace with their situation, no matter what form it came in, and was excited to discover what else their lives held for them.

* * *

They walked into the Lake House and went straight for the kitchen, Elena leaning on the bar as Damon grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, tossing her one.

"Thanks," she said, and they downed the drinks.

Damon wiped his mouth once it was empty, and lifted his chin, "From now on, I propose that we find a different way to exercise...a more fun way."

Her brow arched as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, "And what exactly did you have in mind, Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon kissed her shoulder and his fingers tugged at her sports bra, "We could start with removing these, then maybe getting in the shower."

She turned in his arms, smirking, "Using your body to get out of running is a cheap shot, you know."

Now he was grinning, "But is it working?"

"Not answering that."

He took that as encouragement and kissed her shortly, letting his lips trail over her face and down to her jaw.

His hand angled her head and Elena melted into him.

Okay, so maybe this wasn't a bad alternative to a three mile-

"What's this?" Elena paused, something catching her eye as Damon turned her head.

"What?" he asked against her neck.

She reached over and picked up the thin, long black box that sat on the counter she was currently leaning against.

Her boyfriend straightened and smiled, "Oh, that. Just a little present for you. I've had it for a few days now, but things have been a bit crowded at home, so I figured I'd give it to you here."

She looked up to meet his gaze, "Yeah it has. But Bonnie's leaving for Africa next week. So that'll be at least one empty room."

Damon's arm closed around her waist and he placed a kiss on her forehead, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

She frowned, "About Bonnie leaving for Africa?"

He shook his head, then grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the couch.

* * *

Once they were seated, he motioned to the box, "First, open that."

Elena eyed him skeptically, but did as he asked and opened what she expected to be a piece of jewelry.

It was, and it left her breathless.

"Oh, Damon," she murmured, picking up the delicate chain of the necklace.

It was silver with a small pendant at the end of blue stone in the shape of a teardrop.

The color was familiar, and she glanced up at Damon.

"Do you like it?" he asked, sounding almost nervous.

She smiled a little, "It's beautiful...this stone, though, is it-"

"Lapis Lazuli," he answered, "Yes. The same that was in our daylight rings."

She handed the piece over to him, "Put it on me?"

He nodded with a pleased grin and she stood to turn, lifting her hair.

His fingers tickled the back of her neck as he worked the clasp, and once the necklace was in place, she felt his lips press against her skin, "There."

She reached down and fingered the pendant, admiring it, "What's the occasion?"

"I can't just get you a gift?" Damon asked, a little teasingly.

Elena smirked, but gave him a knowing look.

"Fine," he consented, "I just noticed that at Stefan's memorial, you left your necklace. I know that it meant a lot to you and while you were gone, well, I guess I got a little attached to it too. But you were right. We can't live in the past...so I thought you might like a way to commemorate it; while making a new start. That's the occasion."

Elena wasn't sure how to respond to that.

The gesture was touching, and leave it to Damon to find a way to give her what she didn't even know she wanted.

"Thank you," she said softly, "I love it."

"And I love you," he smiled, leaning forward to give her a kiss, which she readily returned.

* * *

Their arms wrapped around each other and soon they were falling back on the couch, with her climbing into his lap so they didn't have to break apart.

Damon's hands gripped her roughly, his fingers digging into her rib cage as she grinded against him, grasping his hair in her hands as they clung to each other.

If she had ever worried about humanity dimming Damon's...skills, she certainly wasn't anymore.

Sure, as vampires they were able to go for hours without getting exhausted, there was something about being human together, being so connected to life and to each other that made every touch a thousand times more intense.

She was convinced she could spend a lifetime in Damon's arms and never get bored with what they shared.

"Shower," she mumbled against his lips, and he nodded, lifting her as effortlessly as he had before the cure, and carried her over to the staircase.

* * *

They stumbled their way up them and into the master bedroom, refusing to part their lips for even a moment to watch where they were going.

However, when they finally reached the bathroom, Damon pulled away long enough to reach into the glass shower and start the water, while she stripped out of her workout clothes.

Damon did the same and then, as fast as humanly possible, had her back in his arms and inside the shower.

Elena shivered as her back met the cool tiled wall, but it was soon forgotten as Damon used it to support her and reached between their bodies.

His fingers came against her wet heat and he practically growled in her mouth.

She tightened her grip on his shoulders, whimpering as he stroked her.

"Damon," she begged, jutting her hips out, "Please."

He kissed her again, before letting her go, and she felt every hard inch as she slid down his body.

"Turn around," he told her, grabbing her hips.

She did as he said, putting her back to him and the shower head, and he lifted her arms, having her brace against the far wall.

Then his hand came between her thighs, spreading them as far as the closed space would allow.

He kissed the back of her neck, "God, you're beautiful."

She tilted her head back, resting it against his as Damon's body came against her.

A few more movements, a slight angling of her hips and…

She moaned as he slid into her, filling her in the best way.

"Yes," she breathed, rocking against him and Damon moved one hand from her hip to her shoulder, holding her in place.

Then he was moving.

The sounds that left her in that shower were loud, and wildly inappropriate, making her all the more grateful they'd decided to take this little trip.

It had been long over do.

* * *

They eventually finished in the shower, Elena finding completion three times before Damon had reached his own, and they were back in the living room, cuddled on the couch in just their underwear, pretending to watch some action movie while they made out like a pair of teenagers, only taking occasional breaks to talk about the plans for the rest of the day.

"I don't want to go back tomorrow," Elena sighed wearily, "I mean, I love our friends, but...I've missed this."

Damon chuckled quietly, "Oh baby, you have no idea."

She ran her hand over his chest, settling deeper into his side as he let his arm rest around her waist.

"We still have tomorrow though," he said.

She nodded, "I know. But I wish it was longer. Maybe we should just stay here for the whole week."

She glanced up to see that Damon's eyes were already on her, "Unless you don't want to?"

He shook his head, "It's not that."

"Then what?" she pressed, sitting up.

He followed her lead and pulled himself into a sitting position, "Something else I've been meaning to talk to you about. You know how earlier you mentioned that Bonnie was leaving soon for her world tour adventure?"

Elena nodded, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I was thinking," he paused slightly, measuring her expression, "What if we did the same? Not the whole world tour thing, of course, but just got out of Mystic Falls for a while."

Elena blinked, surprised by the suggestion, "You're ready to leave?"

He shrugged, "Ric and the others have everything under control with the school and the remodeling. I can sign the house over to him or Care Bear so they can sign off for everything, so we wouldn't have to worry about that."

She shook her head, "I meant about Stefan...I mean, to be honest, I've been thinking about us heading out eventually too, but I wasn't sure you were quite ready to leave the place where he is."

Damon nodded, understanding, "I appreciate that. But this is what he would want, right? Us living our lives. The sooner we start, the less he'll have to bitch to you about in the great beyond."

Elena rolled her eyes good naturedly, "You mean us. The less he'll have to bitch to _us_ about."

Damon smirked lightly, "Sure."

She narrowed her eyes, but decided to let it go for now.

One day, she was going to convince Damon that his soul was worth being saved, but she had many years to do so.

Today, there was a more pressing discussion.

"So, you're really ready to leave?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah, I think so. If you are. I planned on leaving Caroline half of what was in the Salvatore funds, but we can take the rest and find a place to start over. Wherever you want."

Elena smiled slowly, "I wouldn't mind having more time alone with you. And I'm already pretty behind in school. Couldn't hurt to start a semester sooner rather than later."

He nodded, "Especially if you're still planning on Med School being a part of your future."

"I am," she said.

"Then let's do it," Damon prompted, "Let's go find that loft you talked about and start on that human life you had planned."

She laughed, "Tribeca, right? You remembered."

He smiled at her, "Of course I did. And if New York is what you want, then that's where we'll go."

She pondered that idea, "Hmm, maybe. But we can figure out the location later. Right now, I'm going to call Bonnie."

"Bonnie?" he asked, confused by the statement.

Elena nodded, standing up to grab her phone, "Yeah. You're human now, and if we're branching out in the human world, we're going to do it as safely as possible. I'm going to have her put the same protection spell on you that Valerie put on Lizzie and Josie."

Damon frowned as she dialed, "Isn't that a little...over the top?"

"Nope," she assured him, placing the phone against her ear, "I'm not going to risk losing you or you losing the cure. If any accident were to happen and you bled out, you'd start to age and we'd be screwed. Not to mention the last time you were human was in the 1800's, meaning there are tons of vaccinations you need and sicknesses that your body will be exposed to and I'm not letting you die of Tetanus just because a little protection spell might be over the top."

* * *

Voicemail picked up and she left Bonnie a message while Damon chuckled, "You've thought this through, huh?"

She nodded as he walked over to her, "You bet I have."

Her eyes bore into his as he took her face in his hands, "I'm never going to losing you again, Damon. Not if I can help it."

He brushed his thumb over her cheek, "I understand. We'll do the damn spell before Bonnie leaves."

Elena smiled and stood on her toes to peck his lips, "Thank you."

He pulled her back into him and kissed her harder, "No, Elena, thank you. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me."

She smirked at him, bringing her finger up to boop his nose, "And don't you forget that."

* * *

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	4. On the Road

**New update for ya! Enjoy :)**

* * *

Elena stared up at the Boarding House, her home for all intents and purposes.

It looked almost the same as it did the first day she'd laid eyes on it during her junior year of high school.

The only real difference being the number of cars parked in the circled drive and the giant sign that hung over the front entrance, declaring it the Salvatore Boarding School.

Or as Damon liked to refer to it, Saltzman's School for Gifted Youngsters.

He'd also called it "Alaric's School of Witchcraft and Vampirism" but no one else had found it quite as amusing as he had, so it had been dropped.

The Salvatore Boarding School would soon be up and running, with Ric, Caroline, and Dorian working as educators.

To everyone's surprise, Jeremy had also volunteered to stay and help with teaching, being an experienced supernatural vampire hunter and all, and Ric had agreed on a trial basis.

They were looking to officially open in just a few short weeks, which meant that the time had come to move on with her own life.

* * *

"You okay?"

Elena turned to see Damon leaning against his Camaro, waiting for her.

She smiled sadly, nodding at him, before giving the house one more glance over.

She'd already said her goodbyes to everyone inside, and knew that she would be back to at least visit at some point, but still...it was hard to leave your home.

Your physical one, at least.

She let out the breath she'd been holding and started across towards the car; towards Damon.

He smiled at her and opened the passenger's side door.

"You got everything you need, right?"

She nodded, sliding into the seat, "It wasn't much."

It was true.

They had only packed the car with the essential items they would need for their relocation, and the rest they planned on having shipped to them after finding the place they wanted to live.

"What about you?" she asked, as he walked around to get into the driver's seat.

He started the ignition while looking over at her, "I have everything I need right here."

She smiled at the sentiment and reached for his hand.

"We're really doing this."

He squeezed her fingers, "Last chance to change your mind."

Elena shook her head, "No...I'm good. I'm ready."

Damon nodded, then switched gears and soon enough, they were pulling out onto the road.

* * *

Despite what she had said, it didn't really hit Elena that they were actually moving away until they drove across the town border.

The small "Welcome to Mystic Falls" sign was haunting as it faded away in the rearview mirror, and she couldn't help but feel a that the entire situation was a little bittersweet.

To distract herself, she reached over and took Damon's hand.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a private smile, and it helped dissipate the "bitter" part.

"Are you sure _you're_ ready for this?" she asked him, for probably the millionth time that week, "I mean, this is us actually moving."

He chuckled, "Elena, do you know how many times I've left Mystic Falls over the years? How many times I've come back? This is just another transition. One I'm more than ready for."

"Except you're human this time," she reasoned, "I get that you've seen the world, but this is it now, for both of us. We have the next sixty or seventy years to do everything we want to do and then it's over."

"It's a little soon to be getting into the technicalities of our mortality, isn't it?" he teased, his hand playing with her fingers now.

She sighed, "I'm serious, Damon. I don't want you to have any regrets about how we spend our life. It's the last lifetime you're going to have."

The smirk was back in place, and he even glanced over at her briefly, "I'm not going to regret anything about spending it with you. No matter where we go or where we end up...It'll be the perfect life, as long as it's with you."

The romantic words brushed at her worries, and eased her chest, but as much as she wanted to go on faith, what laid ahead was so uncertain that she couldn't quite force herself to believe there wouldn't be any hiccups.

* * *

"So what else is going on in that pretty head of yours?" he pressed, reading her expression as they hit the open highway.

She shrugged, "Nothing. And everything. The future is so unpredictable, and that's terrifying and exciting and terrifying…"

"We're gonna figure it out," he promised, "Day by day. I mean, this is what you wanted, right? New York, med school, me?"

She shot him a look, "Of course. I'm one hundred percent sure about you, and yes, New York has some of the best pre med programs in the country, and being a doctor is the best thing I could hope to do with my life."

"But?" he prodded gently.

"But I'm worried," she said, "What if I don't get in to any of the schools I want? What if you hate living in an apartment? What if anyone finds out the truth about us and-"

She stopped when Damon started laughing, "This isn't funny."

He shook his head, "Baby, there is no way you won't get into any school you want. And if you're that worried, try to remember that you have a vampire best friend who can compel your acceptance."

"Yeah, but I don't want her to have to. That wouldn't be fair."

"Screw fair," he told her, "You've gone through a lot over the years because of supernatural interference in your life. At least this way, you'll benefit from it."

"Yeah, but-"

"And as for where we live, I told you, it doesn't matter. As long as I'm with you, I'll be happy."

She still wasn't as certain as he seemed to be, "You say that now. But what happens if I do get in to school and I'm busy all the time and then med school is going to be even worse, and you'll get bored and...you're laughing again."

She narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend who was trying to fight back his amusement, "Damon, I'm serious. I know that us being together is all that you've been fighting to make happen for the past half of a decade, but this is your life now too. Your only life. I don't want you to feel like you wasted it by waiting on me. I want you to enjoy it."

"So I'll buy a bar," he said offhandedly, "Or I'll find another job, or I'll go to school too, or I'll binge an entire season of Dance Moms in a ridiculously fast amount of time."

"Damon-"

"My point," he stopped her, "Is that there are options, Elena. Millions of them. Ones that I'm sure I've never even thought to consider before, but now I can. We'll figure this out. But in the meantime you are going to have the life you wanted. You're going to become a fancy surgeon and save lives and do anything and everything you want for the next seventy years. And if all I ever do for the rest of my life is watch you get everything you've ever dreamed of...well, then, I got everything I wanted."

He smiled at her, and Elena couldn't help but smile back.

He was making it so difficult to be stressed about the impending uncertainties when he talked as if whatever was awaiting them was paradise.

And maybe for him, that's what this was.

Life with her was what he wanted more than anything, and he sounded as though he was already satisfied with it.

And for now, she would accept that and be happy.

Damon still had years to figure out the human thing and to find a new future dream for himself, but for now, he was content with starting this life with her.

And after all that they'd endured to get to this point, she decided that that was enough for now.

She would take a moment, or two, or a year, and just be happy with the fact that she had actually gotten her happiness, and that Damon had gotten his.

She squeezed the palm he held, and he looked over.

"I love you," she told him, smiling a little, and he smiled back, "I love you, too."

* * *

They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, until she recalled something he'd said.

"So…" she smirked, turning in the seat to face him, "Dance Moms? I'm guessing I can blame Caroline?"

Damon laughed, and it played like music in her heart, making anything that waited for them ahead more than worth the struggle.

It was a little bit of a drive to New York and she was going to be sure and hear that sound as much as possible for the next five hours.

And, while she was at it, the next seventy years.

* * *

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